Improvement in snap-hook



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FREDERICK VALENTINE, OF BU'FFALOl NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'lO PRATT &LE'ICHWOR'IH, OF SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 90,896, dated June `l, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN SNAP-HOOK.

The Schedule referred to in these `Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

To all 'whom 'it may concern Be it known 'that I, FREDERICK VALENTINE,of the city of Buffalo, in the county of Erie, and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Snap-Hooks; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure I is a longitudinal section.

Figure II is a perspective view.

Figure III is a back view, with the spring and trigger-lock removed.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each of the gures.

My yimproved snap-hook consists of the followingr essential features orelements, viz:

' First, a'rnortise and recess, cast in the shank of the hook withoutcoring;

Second, a trigger or lever, hinged in said mortise, with one end unitingand locking with the end 'of the hook, while the other projects throughthe shank on the back side, so as to form a trigger or finger-piece foroperating it; and

Third, ,a hat spring, arranged and secured in place by threebearing-points, of which the trigger forms one, without -the use of arivet or other permanent fastening.

The invention does not consist oi' either of these elements, separatelyconsidered, but in the construction and arrangement of the several partsas a whole, forming an improved article of snap-hook.l

In the drawings above referred toa. represents the channel or recessformed in the back side of the shank, and a the mortise or openingthrough the shank, in which the trigger or lockinglever is hinged.

This lever consists of a locking-end, 11, projecting through the shank,and engaging with the end of the Y hook o, and t-he trigger orfinger-piece b', i'or operating it in detaching the hook.

It is also formed -with a shoulder, d, which stops against the end ofthe front-plate portion c of the shank, andvwith a notch, e, to receivethe end of the hat spring j, as shown in Fig. I.

The shank of the hook next tothe loop y, is cast with an opening, i,through it, so as to leave a crossba-r, m, and a feed-bearing' n, at theend of the plate c.

'lhe spring fis made of such width as to fit in the groove a.

The end which engages with the cross-bar m is slightly curved, so as topartially hook around the latter, while the opposite end iits in thenotch e in the trigger.

It will thus be readily perceived that the three bearings e m n willsecurely retain the spring in place, without anyrother means offastening.

The operation of my improved hook is obvious.

I am .aware that snap-hooks, provided with a trigger-lockand'spiral-spring, or a spring differently arranged from mine, are old.

VBut in all these,so far as -I am acquainted with them, the arrangementand construction of the parts are such as to make the article eithermore expensive than mine, or more liable to get out of order, or lessconvenient to handle, or more clumsy or ungraceful in appearance.

Thevshank of my hook can he cast without coring. The spring can beapplied without any expensive mode of fastening; and, when oncearranged, with the trigger in place, it becomes perfectly secure againstdisplacement.4

Ihe hook is compact, can he cheaply man ufactured, isneat in appearance,and can be conveniently operated.

These advantages result from thc peculiar manner of forming the shank,in connection with the fiat spring and notch e in the trigger,whichftaken together as a whole, form my invention.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim, and desire to securevby Letters latent. is-

'lhe construction and arrangement of the'recess and mortise a a',hearings on, n., and c, flat spring j, and,

lock-trigger b IJ, as herein described, and for the purpose set forti..

F. VALENTINE.

` Witnesses:

JosrAH Ln'ronwonTH, JAY HYATT.

